One killed, one injured by commuter train in Natick

NATICK — A woman was killed and a man was seriously injured by a commuter rail train early Friday, causing cancellations and delays throughout the morning commute.

The victims were struck around 5:30 a.m. near the bridge that carries Speen Street over the Framingham/Worcester commuter rail line, Transit Police said in a statement.

In Dedham, another pedestrian was killed just before 6:15 Friday night when he was struck by a Franklin commuter rail line train. In all three cases foul play is not expected according to the MBTA Police and the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office

Law enforcement officials investigating the Natick accident said a 32-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene while a 49-year-old man suffered non life-threatening injuries. He was taken to a local hospital.

Local and state police gathered along the tracks to investigate. A light mist hung over a train was stopped to the west of where a body lay covered by a white sheet. Trains moved slowly past the scene as the investigators worked.

Employees who work near the rail line said they see people on the tracks, including those who they think are homeless.

“It’s eerie,” said David Pierce, of Northbridge, who owns Pierce Collision and has worked near the tracks since 1990. “You don’t ever want to see it.”

People take shelter under the bridge carrying Speen Street over the tracks. He recalled one time years ago when a worker found someone passed out on the tracks.

Deer often wander near the railroad line, attracting people who want to see the animals, Pierce said.

There is no fence between his business and the tracks, but Pierce said if there were one people would likely just cut a hole if they wanted to get closer to the tracks.

“It’s like anything, you can do a lot but they’re going to find a way,” he said. “It’s the shortest distance between two points without dealing with traffic.”

Scott Fleming, of Natick, was out for his regular walk around 7:15 a.m. Heading over the Speen Street bridge, he noticed a lot of workers and saw the body. A woman was taking photographs and there were markers near the body, he said.

"It's sad, very tragic," Fleming said, adding he felt sorry for her family members.

Law enforcement officials had not identified the Natick or Dedham victims by the Daily News deadline Friday night.

At Wheel Dynamix, manager Kevin Fleury arrived at work around 6 a.m., opened the business and saw all the emergency responders.

“I feel bad,” he said. “Death is a tragedy.”

In February, Ashland teenager Brendan Petry was struck and killed by a train in his town. Foul play was not suspected.

Transit officials plan to discuss efforts and partnerships between the MBTA, Keolis Commuter Services, which is the MBTA’s operating partner for the commuter rail, and others to reduce the number of pedestrians who are killed by trains. Those talks are part of Rail Safety Week at the end of the month, MBTA spokeswoman Lisa Battiston said in an email.

MetroWest police departments arrest people trespassing on railroad property, but areas around train tracks are not patrolled regularly.

In Framingham, officers will sometimes see people on the tracks from the street, or they’ll get calls from witnesses or those associated with the trains about issues, and that can lead to arrests, police spokeswoman Lt. Patricia Grigas said.

“There are train tracks all over town, we could be down there all day,” Grigas said.

In Natick, portions of the tracks are blocked by fencing, but Natick Police spokeswoman Lt. Cara Rossi said many people will walk along the tracks as they go between Framngham and Natick.

“It’s dangerous,” said Rossi. “Anytime we see anyone we investigate. Anytime that someone calls in to report someone on the track, or the MBTA calls us, we’ll investigate.”

Friday's Natick incident delayed train travel on the line, with some trains operating more than an hour late. Transit officials canceled, modified or added other trains in response. Regular service resumed around 11 a.m., according to MBTA Commuter Rail tweets.

Keolis Commuter Services officials said the company worked with emergency officials to help minimize the effect on passenger service.

A spokeswoman for the Middlesex District Attorney's Office declined to provide more information because foul play is not suspected. Transit Police did not respond to a request for more information.

Material from Daily News media partner WCVB-TV and Daily News reporter Norman Miller was used in this report. Brian Benson can be reached at 508-626-3964 or bbenson@wickedlocal.com.

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